Jobless man jailed after hammer attack on drug-taking friend
SingTao · 3 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
A 42-year-old unemployed man, Mo Tai-fung (巫泰峯), was sentenced in the High Court to 3 years and 2 months after pleading guilty to wounding with intent and consuming a dangerous drug. The case stemmed from an attack outside 61-63 Pilkem Street, Yau Ma Tei, in the early hours of 28 July 2024, when he struck 33-year-old Pang Hing (彭興) on the head 11 times with a small hammer. Pang later returned to the flat, kept taking drugs and using an e-cigarette for about two to three hours to relieve pain, then went into convulsions and died after losing consciousness. The court accepted forensic evidence that the direct cause of death was an adverse reaction to cocaine and methamphetamine, not the head injuries.
Key Points
- Mo admitted wounding Pang with intent outside 61-63 Pilkem Street on 28 July 2024, and separately admitted taking methamphetamine at a second-floor unit there on 27 July 2024.
- CCTV showed Mo pulling Pang's arm to stop him leaving, striking his head seven times, then four more times after Pang fell or sat on the ground.
- Pang remained conscious after the roughly 20-second assault, returned to the unit within about 10 minutes, and was later found covered in blood around the head and neck
- A post-mortem found five wounds to the back of Pang's head but no skull fracture or brain injury; the fatal event was drug toxicity involving cocaine and methamphetamine.
- Judge Esther Toh Lai-yin said Mo had 18 previous convictions, including violence and drug offences, and had reoffended within a year of release from prison.
Why It Matters
The case shows how violent crime and drug abuse can overlap in Hong Kong's hidden drug-taking premises, with fatal consequences even when an assault is not the medical cause of death. It also underlines the courts' emphasis on deterrent sentencing for repeat violent offenders who carry weapons and attack in public places.